Chapter Twenty – Epilogue
“I didn’t realize how large this place is.” Ryan placed the roller back in the painting pan.
Meg grabbed a wet rag and wiped a drip. “I loved living here when I first arrived in Tuckers Bluff.”
“Well,” Danny looked up from painting the trim, “I don’t need a lot of space, but the price was right.”
“How was the noise level?” Ryan looked to Meg.
“Why?” Danny stopped painting. “Planning on stealing it out from under me?” Since the VA had dropped the ball on Danny’s therapy, after the dust storm incident, Eloise had insisted that he at least try working with Hannah. To everyone’s delight, between Hannah and the horses, and working with the bikes, Danny was almost a new man.
Ryan shook his head. He knew a good deal when he had it and living at the ranch was the closest thing to perfect. “Not me.”
“Here come Quinn and Eloise.” Looking out the window, Meg smiled.
Raising his chin to see over the café curtain, Ryan couldn’t help but smile at his brother and Eloise. The two had been walking down the street, holding hands, and grinning at each other as if there wasn’t anyone else in the world. Any moment now he expected a cat to cross their path and send them flying. Heck, the two were so busy giving each other goo-goo eyes, a cow could cross in front of them and they wouldn’t see it.
“Aren’t they cute?” Meg kept her attention on the couple turning the corner toward the stairs that led to the apartment over the café.
“Adorable.” Ryan hadn’t meant to sound so cynical, but it was frustrating being the only remaining single Farraday. Not that he begrudged his siblings’ happiness with the love of their lives, he just wished more of them still liked going hunting instead of staying home with their wives. That actually made him chuckle under his breath. If his brothers didn’t want to stay home with their loves, Ryan would worry about them. Like it or not, he was the lone bachelor hold out; at least he would be once Quinn finally found the nerve to propose.
“Oh, this is looking wonderful.” Aunt Eileen and Sally May came through the front door, their arms laden with paper bags and taste bud-tantalizing aromas.
Danny pushed to his feet and set the brush down across the can of paint. “Let me help.”
“Nonsense.” Sally May slapped at his hands. “I might be older than you, but I’m perfectly capable of holding a bag of Chinese food.”
“Chinese food?” Meg’s head whipped around. “Since when did you two learn to cook Chinese?”
Aunt Eileen shook her head. “I didn’t. Seems Finn’s new kitchen helper used to work in Chinatown in San Francisco. Yesterday, the guy brought his lunch to work, and Finn was floored at how good it tasted, so today…”
“We’re having Chinese food from an Irish pub.” Ryan laughed. “Makes perfect sense.”
“What makes perfect sense?” Still holding Quinn’s hand, Eloise came into the room, the two dressed in old clothes and ready to work.
His aunt straightened her shoulders and having placed the bags on the counter, hefted her hands onto her hips. “We’re having Chinese food for lunch.”
“Chinese?” Quinn repeated.
“Don’t you start too,” their aunt groused.
“No, ma’am,” Quinn answered promptly.
Standing behind his brother, Ryan was close enough to hear Eloise whisper in Quinn’s ear, “Smart man.” And just like that the two were batting eyes and grinning like two kids in a candy store again.
“What’s this?” Sally May lifted a sheet from the top of a pile of something, exposing a bright red lady’s bicycle. “Oh my.”
Danny’s face lit up. “That’s a special restoration.”
The way Sally May’s fingers gently brushed at the handlebars, then down to the spring cushioned saddle before stopping at the chrome fenders, Ryan got the feeling she was reliving a favorite memory.
“It’s a 1958 Schwinn Hollywood.” Danny beamed, the pride in his work showing.
Sally May nodded. “My daddy gave me a hand-me-down bicycle when I was ten. It was older than me and pretty beat up, but it had a nice new basket on the front and I loved it. Rode all over town and then some.”
“It was shipped to me in pieces from Dallas. Took me forever to source the missing parts, but the woman who sent it is restoring it for her mother. Apparently, it was her grandmother’s bicycle once upon a time.”
Aunt Eileen’s eyes widened. “They sent it to you from Dallas?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“That’s nothing.” Quinn grinned at his business partner. “In the few months since Danny started working out of Fred’s, his reputation is growing not only around here, and not just in Texas, but we’re getting inquiries for vintage bikes and restoration from all over the country.”
Eloise squeezed Quinn’s hand. Ryan didn’t have to be a mind reader or expert on relationships to see the love pouring from her gaze in Quinn’s direction, or the same from him. Those two had to be outdoing all his siblings in the cutesy department. And despite his grumbling about his bachelorhood, he couldn’t be happier for them.
“Why is the bike here and not at the hardware store?” Aunt Eileen asked.
“Since it’s a private restoration, it’s not for sale, and there’s just not much room at Fred’s for more than what’s already displayed.”
Several heads bobbed.
“Which,” Danny looked at his sister, “brings me to some good news.”
Ryan had the distinct feeling by the way Eloise’s grip on Quinn’s hand tightened and she cast a sideways smile at him that he quickly reciprocated, that they already knew the news.
“Sales are going so well with the bikes that we need more space.”
“Always a nice problem to have,” Aunt Eileen smiled.
“There’s more.” Quinn drew everyone’s attention before nodding at Danny to go on.
“Mrs. Hallanan has decided to retire,” Danny continued.
“Oh.” Aunt Eileen looked to Sally May as if saying, why don’t we know that?
“She’s going to close the yarn shop and the landlord says when she’s gone, we can have the space.”
“That’s wonderful,” Aunt Eileen cheered louder than anyone.
Sally May slapped her hands together and squealed at the same time Meg pulled him into a congratulatory hug. “And you’ll be just across the street from this lovely apartment.”
“That’s the plan.” Danny walked over to Quinn, doing so much better with all the people and attention. “Now that I’m all set, and now that my sister is going to be living all by her little lonesome in that nice apartment you finished for her in Sadieville, maybe you should consider making a few changes in your life.”
Quinn smacked Danny gently on the back of the head like that character on a TV show. “How to kill the romance.”
“Romance?” Aunt Eileen frowned, her gaze darting around the room. “Wait, what am I missing?”
Quinn looked to Eloise. “You might as well show everyone.”
Tugging at her shirt front, Eloise pulled a chain out that hung around her neck. Dangling from the thick piece of jewelry, a solitary diamond ring hung. “We’ve been waiting for the right time to share the news.”
The poor woman didn’t have a chance to get another word in edgewise. Everyone in the room descended on the two lovebirds. Hugs and congratulations were offered as Aunt Eileen stepped aside to call Uncle Sean and then sent a group text to the entire clan. Apparently, there would be a celebratory dinner at the house tonight. Just the family, then they would spring the news on the rest of the town.
From where Ryan stood, it was clear the painting for the day was finished. Quietly, while everyone else chattered and oohed and aahed over the ring, Ryan collected up the paint rollers and brushes and washed them out in the sink. Soon, footsteps thundered up the stairs and one by one, family members in town appeared, adding to the buzz around the officially engaged couple.
Several things occurred to Ryan. First, his mother was going to have a fit when she found out she’d lost another son to Texas. Next, the producers were going to want to recreate all this excitement for the Construction Cousins television show. And lastly, he couldn’t help but wonder was he going to turn the corner and stumble onto the love of his life. Shaking his head at his own thoughts, two words came to mind about finding a soul mate—fat chance.
So glad you could join Quinn and Eloise on their adventure in the Farraday Country Series. Stay Tuned for Ryan’s story, coming soon here .